As the Syrian civil war continues into its fifth year, more than 2.7 million Syrian refugees are now living in Turkey. There is little hope among Syrians to return to their country in the near future, and Turkey has become home for large numbers of refugee families with children.

Nine-year-old Haneen has not eaten for days and often cries herself to sleep. Born with physical disabilities, Haneen is unable to hear, speak or walk since birth - issues that would be challenging in any environment, let alone in a camp outside of Baghdad for people who have fled their homes.

I came here because I wanted to help people and while the challenges remain considerable, I am willing to keep fighting. For every person we help - for every life we save - I am reminded of what we can do. I want to tell their stories in the hope that others will come forward, knowing that we can help them.

"Some are divided in their own community because of Ebola," Harris explains. "There were divisions and there were other conflicts. For now, we are in the community to talk to them so they can see the reasons why they can reunite. It was Ebola that brought all of this into our country."

As disasters continue to increase in lives lost and in damage costs it is time for the international community to look again at the fundamentals of disaster response and invest in training the real First Responders, the families and communities affected by these emergencies.

I am so proud of my daughter Natasha, and my step daughters Savannah and Sienna. Not only have they been very successful in turning their passions into professions, but they are all dedicated to giving something back and making a real change.